Pairing wine with Christmas

There are so many articles on food and wine pairing leading up to Thanksgiving, telling you what to pair with the myriad array of foods on the table. But then when Christmas comes, not so much.

The Christmas dinner table seems less about trying to find a wine to pair with the meal and more about finding a wine that really celebrates the season. So instead of picking wines that you can use on your table, I’m giving you wines that taste like Christmas! Ever smelled a wine and thought, this smells like Christmas? Or at least smells like a Christmas candle? All those spices of clove, nutmeg and allspice come shining through…

These are the kinds of wine you like to have in hand as you curl up next to a roaring fire, gaze at your well-decorated tree and enjoy the season.

Argyle Nuthouse Chardonnay – spices of clove and nutmeg make you think, eggnog! This wine is rich but balanced and will have you craving some rum-tinged eggnog after a glass or two.

DeLoach Russian River Estate Pinot Noir 2007 – lots of ripe fruit and sweet spice coming through. A medium-bodied Pinot. This is what I call cocktail wine, though it would hold up to a meal as well. But it really is a perfect wine while hanging by the Christmas tree.